Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson is facing suspension. He will have a hearing today with the NHL Department of Player Safety, the NHL announced via Twitter this morning.

Typically a hearing is a precursor to a suspension, though that is not guaranteed. Tuesday night in Game 3, Wilson lined up Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward Zach Aston-Reese and delivered a full speed, high check with broke Aston-Reese’s jaw and concussed the forward.

Wilson is no stranger to controversial hits. In Game 2 of the Capitals Round 2 series against the Penguins, Wilson shouldered Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin in the head. The NHL ruled the hit was unavoidable because Dumoulin changed his head position as he slowed to avoid a check by the oncoming defender, Alex Ovechkin.

The NHL was entirely incorrect, but that was the ruling.

Wilson also took out Columbus Blue Jackets center Alex Wennberg in Game 1, Round 1.

In Game 3, the Penguins were incensed that Wilson laughed on the bench as Aston-Reese laid on the ice. And that Wilson laughed through the rest of the game as other Penguins challenged Wilson to atone for his crime.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, who earlier in the playoffs explained he doesn’t think publicly lobbying officials has a positive effect, said he hopes the league “Does something about it.”

Wilson was suspended twice in the preseason. He missed two games for “interference” and then the first four games of the regular season for a separate hit to the head in the Capitals final preseason game.

Wilson, 24, had begun a career turnaround of sorts. He was playing on the Capitals top line with Ovechkin and receiving praise from Capitals head coach Barry Trotz for his non-injurious work. In nine playoff games this season, Wilson has seven points (2g, 5a).

Here are the three controversial Tom Wilson hits in these playoffs. Perhaps at some point, the NHL will take them more seriously:

You’re freaking out of your mind. or 12 years old. or both.
I’ve watched 95% of their games. Tom Wilson is aggressive. After him, there isn’t one single super-aggressive player on their entire roster. Do you remember Dale Hunter? He had dirty in him. TW isn’t DH.

I wouldn’t put Orpik in that category. Brooks is a hard-nosed player in the throwback mold. He’s made some mistakes but he has opponents respect for giving and receiving. I’d prefer not to elaborate too much beyond that!

Dan, I realize that you are PGH hockey reporter/fan but that doesn’t make you a member of the NHL Dept. of Player Safety, so your comment about how they got it wrong shows your strong bias. You don’t like their assessment because it went against your team, so least be honest about that. So, welcome to club of what the rest of us have had to endure when playing the Penguins. There are many examples of bias by the NHL towards Crosby and the Pens (ask anyone who isn’t a Pens fan) Heaven help the opposing team if Crosby falls down(he is the great embellisher), because here comes the penalty. Last night’s game got out of hand on several fronts. No one, not even #43 wants to see anyone get hurt. We all feel bad for Aston-Reese and wish it hadn’t happened. Last night’s game had a lot of bad hits by both teams, but only one man SPIT on three Caps players. If #43 gets a suspension, so should #87 for his disgusting poor sportsmanship.

No one is getting their jaw broken, or concussed, from spit. Agreed, definitely poor sportsmanship, but when you’ve watched the same guy take people out game after game, what do you expect? Even the great one has only so much patience.

For someone who “doesn’t want to see anyone hurt”, he sure seems to do this a lot doesn’t he? He can easily lower his shoulder when he goes in for a hit, but he doesn’t, he goes high every time and he does it on purpose. I don’t say this lightly, as I would normally never wish anyone to be injured, but I can say with a clear conscience that I hope someone puts Tom Wilson in the hospital tomorrow night.

why is it called controversal when no calls are made ,the only ones who have a problem is media and opposing teams , 4 refs on ice and no call ,everyone hates him but at the same time would love to have him, this is hockey not bowling a great series both teams are great only this time I hope the red takes it.

My team (Stars) desperately need help and I would be embarrassed and angry if he came here. There’s no place for a thug like that. Teams employ him to compensate for sucking at hockey and must win by means other than talent.

I don’t think any team in professional sports or any fan base in professional sports cries as much at the penguin’s local journalists, their players, and their fans. They really are some babies. I’d be embersssed hey girls, this just in….. It’s hockey. Sometimes people get injured. Really unfortunate when people get hurt. But that is a hockey hit through and through. Stop crying and score more goals. Your making asses of yourselves.

The fact that you make this statement with no supporting evidence or argument discredits your entire piece. I wouldn’t expect you to be unbiased (which you obviously are not) but you should at least explain your reasoning for reaching that conclusion if you want people to take your opinion seriously.

Please let me know where this statement comes from … “[Sullivan] earlier in the playoffs explained he doesn’t think publicly lobbying officials has a positive effect.” So far he’s taken the mic to bemoan NHL and referee calls of no goal once and legal hits twice. He uses his press conferences to argue calls in every game he LOSES. Strangely, he seemed to be OK with the officials and league in the ONE GAME he won. If Pens fans were real hockey fans, they’d ask their coach to talk about his thoughts on hockey and not litigate (read: cry about) calls. Best wishes.

Why wouldn’t Tom Wilson laugh at numerous players coming after him? If they are dumb enough to get a roughing penalty then he is smart enough to just laugh it off and take a power play. He didn’t get his high penalty drawing numbers throughout the season by retaliating for a coincidental minor. Also, Wilson was laughing long after Reese got up off of the ice. He was probably laughing because Reese threw his glove at him. If that makes him an awful human being then I guess I am too because watching a grown man throw a glove at another is pretty hilarious.

Did you read any of my post? Obviously not. I never said that I laughed at his pain and suffering. What I laughed at was the fact that he threw his glove at Wilson on the Capitals bench. I understand that words and context can be tricky but stick with it. You’ll get there.

He threw his glove at Orpik, not Wilson. you can clearly see the “A” on his chest, not to mention the more manly beard. Wilson wasn’t laughing after the hit. Wilson laughed after the boos rang down. Not that it’s better, just not accurate reporting. People should watch the replay before commenting, too. Perhaps hitting pause, only because it clearly shows Wilson’s shoulder hitting Aston-Reese’s shoulder before head contact. Try the 44 sec of this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DesV4FgSbsY

Whether or not Wilson exhibited any “unnecessary extension of the body upward or outward” after the shoulder contact is probably the debate on whether or not a suspension is coming.

James—I disagree with a couple of your main assertions but that’s a solid/reply comment. Props. To your shoulder to shoulder point, the bench side angle, which has been somewhat elusive to find, shows a straight shot–Wilson shoulder-ZAR head.

To Pittsburgh’s credit, even the fans supported his punishments in the end. I was covering the Leafs at the time, but the Pittsburgh fanbase didn’t put up much argument and there was much support to move on from the player despite his productivity.

I’m a former hockey player never high level but played…it’s a tough game and you have to be defensive to protect yourself to be safe…Having said that in all 3 of #43 no calls he is clearly headhunting the game 2 hit he saw Ovi coming and knew that they were going to sandwich Doumy he passed the puck and #43 had no reason to go high Ovi had it bad hit….last night he CLEARLY left the ice with both feet and threw his shoulder into hit the head mode and so hard he flew into his own bench that was and is a Illegal hit he has no interest in a clear check or taking the body he is always aiming at the head….broken jaw and concussed doesn’t come from a clean body check only head hunting I hope he gets out for the rest of the series then we can get back to playing the tough but legal game I enjoyed….when you have a former enforcer saying it was a bad hit that pretty much says it all for me 3rd time is the charm SUSPENSION

Aston Reese is an American who played NCAA hockey. Wilson is a Canadian who played juniors . Canadiens run the nhl and hate American, European, Russian or college players. Canada is jingoistic about that. You will have Canadien players head hunting until Canada as a nation faces their problem.

Listen, let’s be perfectly clear. Wilson’s hit was to the head. Look at the camera angle from the bench side and you’ll see Reese’s head and jaw snap back. If you can find the angle the was ice-level,you can even see Reese’s jaw shatter (that was for the person who said it broke when he hit the ice). I’m saying this as a Flyers fan of all teams. I absolutely hate having to side with the Pens on this, but as much as it kills me, video evidence doesn’t lie and it clearly shows a hit where the principal point of contact is Reese’s head/jaw.